The long wait for Southampton is finally over. After 23 games without a win in the Premier League, stretching back to March 2023, Russell Martin must have been questioning how much longer Dragan Solak’s patience would hold. The Serbian owner made a rare appearance at the match, witnessing his team once again failing to live up to expectations until the crucial moment arrived five minutes before full-time. Everton substitute Beto’s header hit the crossbar, and Southampton quickly counterattacked, with Adam Armstrong finishing off Yuki Suguwara’s cross to send the home crowd into ecstasy.
There was a tense wait to see if Beto’s subsequent goal would stand, but the VAR decision to disallow it for offside was met with almost as much cheer as Armstrong’s winner. Thanks to a series of outstanding saves from Aaron Ramsdale, Southampton managed to climb off the bottom of the table by ending Everton’s unbeaten streak. Martin had insisted this week that Solak still fully supports him despite the slow start, making only one change from the previous week’s narrow defeat to Manchester City, with Armstrong replacing Tyler Dibling in attack.
Everton, missing Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield, saw playmaker Dwight McNeil pass a fitness test after injuring his knee against Fulham. The draw against Fulham meant they extended their unbeaten run to six matches, their longest since Sean Dyche’s appointment. Despite Southampton dominating possession for much of the first half, Everton looked more confident and dangerous. A lung-bursting run from Mateus Fernandes almost sparked excitement for the home fans, but it ended abruptly when he lost control of the ball. An awful challenge from James Tarkowski on Cameron Archer earned the Everton defender a yellow card, which could easily have been red.
Ramsdale’s nerves were tested when he ventured far out of his goal after a Southampton corner, almost being tackled by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Apart from the energetic Idrissa Gueye, who stood out in white leggings on a mild autumn day, neither side displayed much quality. A swift break started by Flynn Downes’ through ball almost resulted in a goal for Archer, whose shot just missed the far post. Pickford had to push away Armstrong’s cross from Archer, and Harwood-Bellis headed wide for a corner, showing some attacking intent from Southampton.
Adam Lallana was replaced by Joe Aribo at halftime, disrupting Southampton’s rhythm. Orel Mangala almost broke the deadlock after being set up by Ashley Young, but Ramsdale was relieved to see the ball bounce over the crossbar. Michael Keane became the second Everton defender to be cautioned for hauling down Archer, who then almost inadvertently assisted Harwood-Bellis with a free kick that hit him on the ankle, but Tarkowski made a crucial block.
Martin’s decision to switch to a four-man defense with the introduction of Dibling paid off as the youngster’s dribble led to Aribo heading straight at Pickford. The home crowd sensed a breakthrough, but Ramsdale’s remarkable save denied Keane from Mykolenko’s cross. The ball rebounded off the post and then off Ramsdale onto the woodwork again, prompting a fist-pumping celebration from the former Arsenal goalkeeper. Bednarek survived a VAR check for bringing down Beto outside the area, and Ramsdale again came to his side’s rescue by tipping Mykolenko’s free kick around the post. Jack Harrison had a late chance to win it, but Armstrong stole the show.
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